Samui Bodoh

Interesting read...

21 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Yikes! I had married a stiff! Given the circumstances it was quite remarkable that two children followed from this unholy union. 

Hmm... One religion that I know of features a virgin birth (or so she claimed). Another series of tales tells of Gods fornicating with human females to produce demi-gods. A few others tell tale of siblings mating to 'keep the blood-line pure'. Still others feature even more improbable combinations that won't be described here. Yet, I have never come across a human/stiff combination that produced two off-spring.

In far distant future times, will people learn about about Christianity, the Roman/Greek Gods, Egyptian legends, Indian mythology, Islam, Judaism, Native American progeny and...

...Roosterism?

Stranger things have happened... 

About 6 months ago, I decided to cut my time spent on TVF by about 80%.

These days I am about 80% happier.

Get out from behind the computer and go live a little... it's fun. Even (especially!) in Thailand

Have a nice day.

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Cheered on by U.S President Donald Trump, Johnson launched his boldest move yet to take the country out of the European Union by Oct. 31 with or without a divorce deal

"Cheered on by President Donald Trump..."

If something is cheered on by Trump, that alone should set off alarm bells.

The Brexit debate has gone on for so long that I am not going to bother trying to make a detailed argument, I'll simply make the analogy that leaving the EU without a transition agreement is the equivalent of moving out of a house without another house lined up; it defies common sense.

I have said it before and will say it again...

Never before have I seen a country so utterly determined to shoot itself in the crotch

13 hours ago, GarryP said:

Memories. Memories. Ngam duplee, Blue Fox, the Malaysia Hotel, Thermae next to the Miami Hotel, Cowboy, Nana, and let's not forget the Grace Hotel. Those were the days, or were they?  

7 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Makes me wonder just how many readers on TVF are left that know anything about them. Maybe two dozen?

As a regular reader of TWTW, I have seen this basic column several times; yes a few of the names and places have changed, but 'back in the 80's' and 'newspaper reporter at 18' and 'the Thermae' and 'drinking late in to the night' and etc etc etc.

Respectfully, it sounds like two old guys in rocking chairs reminiscing on the porch. Before someone starts shouting at me, I enjoy a good reminisce as much as the next guy, but by the fifth or sixth time, I want to pull out my colon and strangle myself with it.

Perhaps it is time to focus a bit on more current things? At least sometimes? Thai culture in 2019 and beyond? Future challenges for the kingdom? Perhaps some thoughts on the future of the kingdom regionally? Maybe some possible solutions to the mess down south? Current difficulties between the N and NE vs. the 'Kingdom of Bangkok and Surroundings'? What Thailand might look like in 20 years?

I enjoy TWTW because it is usually very well written, and as a general rule I am happy to read anything well written. However, the same basic content, no matter how well-written, eventually goes stale.

Cheers

Allowing yourself to become addicted to a substance, and in turn becoming a source of corporate profits, is plain stupid; just quit already.

And yes, I am that most evil of things; a reformed smoker. Deal with it.

Be well, RBG.

I shudder to think of what the US would become if another supreme court justice was appointed by Trump/republicans...

It just seems more appropriate with hot dancing girls...

Enjoy!

33 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Conservative opponents of a no-deal Brexit are deeply suspicious of Corbyn, whom they see as a dangerous Marxist intent on nationalising swathes of British industry and hiking state spending and taxes.

Reading about the trials and tribulations of the UK/Brexit/Governance debacle, and especially the recent efforts to form a government of national unity with Corbyn at the head, reminds me of a story I heard long ago about Clement Atlee and Winston Churchill.

One day Winston Churchill entered the washroom at Parliament to find Clement Atlee at the urinals. Churchill walked along to the furthest urinal and began his business.

"Feeling a bit standoffish today, eh Winston?" asked Atlee

"No, not standoffish, but a wee bit wary" replied Churchill. "The problem is that every time you see something big, you want to nationalize it." 

8 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Retiring police officers to leave over 6,000 posts vacant

Well, it is a start...

Hmm... A question; if they did not fill the positions, would "Somchai on the street" even notice? It bears some consideration...

"...'Collaborators' are undermining Britain's Brexit bet, PM says..."

"Collaborators"? Really? Why not label your opponents 'Traitorous Back-Stabbers'? Or 'Enemies of the State'? Or go on about how they have 'Betrayed the People'? Or worse (history can provide some of the more vile and odious phraseology)?

Hey UK! Do you realize that after you are done ripping yourselves apart, you will need to mend the differences and work as a team again? Especially when you have driven away your largest markets and many of your friends, partners, allies and acquaintances?

I have said it before and will say it again...

Never before have I seen a country so utterly determined to shoot itself in the crotch

"...As Britain prepares to leave the European Union, its biggest geopolitical shift since World War Two, many diplomats expect London to become increasingly reliant on the United States..."

And, more reliant on Donald Trump in particular.

UK, what happened to you? How did you allow yourself to get into this position?

The simple fact is that if the UK leaves the EU without a deal in October, then it'll be wholly reliant on the 'goodwill' of Donald Trump for its immediate economic future. And...

Donald Trump is an ever-expanding cloud of toxic waste that defiles everything it touches.

My sincere apologies, UK. I have many friends from your country, but if you allow yourself to go down this path, you'll deserve all that will occur.

Sad, sad times.

An interesting read as always... and a good rant as well!

"...And despite the fact they (the whiners/whingers/complainers) seem to be everywhere I believe they are in the minority..." 

Respectfully, they ARE in the minority.

Yes, there is a great deal of moaning/whingeing/whining on TVF, but I will also point out that there is also a great diversity of opinion and commentary (including some valid criticisms), if one looks for it; the trick is to see the good stuff while ignoring the bad. And, while this might be difficult for Rooster, my solution when I get fed up is to give TVF a miss for a while when it gets annoying. 

Unplug, my friends. And, if you can't unplug for a while, then perhaps get a prescription for this new-fangled medicine called... 'Weed' (I hope that I have spelled that correctly), get a hug from loved ones and simply relax for a while.

It works for me...

Have a wonderful day, ya'll!

"...Texas shooting suspect told police he targeted 'Mexicans'..."

Just like Trump...

I have said it before and will say it again.

Donald Trump is an ever-expanding cloud of toxic waste that defiles everything it touches.

God help us all

1 hour ago, webfact said:

President Donald Trump on Monday proposed tighter monitoring of the internet, mental health reform and wider use of the death penalty in response to mass shootings over the weekend that killed 31 people in Texas and Ohio.

Does anyone, seriously anyone, believe that Trump is sincere in this?

After the "Mexicans are rapists" and the "Judge is Mexican" and "They should go back where they came from" and "Good people on both sides" and loads and loads more crap, does anyone actually believe that Trump is NOT a White nationalist? NOT a racist? NOT encouraging and enabling this violence?

Seriously, anyone?

I have said it before and I will say it again...

Donald Trump is an ever-expanding cloud of toxic waste that defiles everything it touches.

God help us all

An interesting read as always...

The Thai "Return to Democracy". Hmm...

I have generally stopped reading the news and posting on TVF due to my utter disgust and revulsion at the political events in the Kingdom; while what has occurred was predictable, it still provokes a feeling of fetid, putrid nausea.

A few years ago I had some hope for the Kingdom. 

The initial joy at the victory in Burma led to some wondering if that sort of thing could occur here; yes, things have declined drastically over the western border, but no one can dispute that for a brief moment the Burmese rose up and spoke their mind. Down south, the Malaysians rose up when they got their chance and tossed out some of the planet's most embedded pieces of... Could it have occurred here? I thought that it was possible; many will certainly point out that the Thais were/are afraid (very legitimately and with good reason), but I have been here long enough to know that Thais will allow themselves to be pushed for a while, but when they have had enough, they tend to push back quite quickly and forcefully. Were the conditions here sufficient for the Thais to demand something better? I wasn't sure, but I thought that it was possible. But, it did not happen. And, the chance is gone for the foreseeable future.

Sadly. Very sadly.

One member (apologies; I don't remember who) reminded me that in the 90's, Thailand was seen as the next country to make the proverbial 'leap of progress' (er...whatever that means) in the neighbourhood, and that was the time I first visited/arrived. It was a wonderful thing to see and be a small part of; the energy in the country was electrifying, the 'vibe' was cool as hell, anything was possible and there was a sense in the air of wonders to come. But, it has been slowly beaten down, bit by bit by bit by bit by bit... I suspect that all reading know the details, so I'll give them a miss.

Now it is 'official'; 'Democracy' has returned, stultification and stagnation are setting in. People will still smile and laugh, more good times will come, new and wonderful things will happen (this is Thailand, after all), but there will always be a sense of 'what might have been'.

There isn't much else to say on the subject, so I'll leave it there.

"...It was discovered that for a price punters could have sex with women who worked there in one of a number of special rooms located above the bar..."

That is shocking as hell! And, honestly quite unbelievable.

I wonder how long it has been going on?

Hmm...

An enjoyable read as usual... 

...and one that combines two special subjects; fashion and plastic bags. 

Yes, there is an obvious bias in favour of foreigners who wear long pants and a collar across Asia when dealing with officialdom, but there are also civilized pockets whereby that particularly odious and noxious habit does not always apply. Many have asked why I love to reside where I do, and one of my responses has always been that here on Koh Samui shorts, and even 'cargo shorts' (the horror!), qualify as 'business casual'. Yes, you will get full-scale gold stars for long pants, but neat, clean shorts, and even 'cargo shorts' (the horror!) are acceptable on the islands. (That said, lose the singlet and speak of it no more)

It's nice.

However, it is also immensely practical, which conforms nicely with the second part of the tale. Plastic bags, the root of many evils, reside nicely in the 'cargo pocket' (the horror!) of the cargo shorts (the horror!) and can be left there on a daily basis for use in markets, shops, kiosks, and the like. Yes, your humble poster leaves plastic bags in his cargo pocket (the horror!) of his cargo shorts (the horror!) for use at 7-11, Tesco/Big C, and especially at the market. There is great joy at seeing the look on peoples faces as you whip out a plastic bag from your cargo pocket (the horror!) of your cargo shorts (the horror!). That joy is magnified in the market; for the last several years I have been using and re-using plastic bags at the market, and I have become something of a celebrity/rock star for doing so. As I walk to my usual stalls, the market ladies point and cackle to their friends, saying words to the effect of "that's the Farang who brings his own plastic bags!". I select my goods and then with a truly ham-ish flourish I whip out my own plastic bag from the cargo pocket (the horror!) of my cargo shorts (the horror!) and hand it to the ladies for them to use (I once tried to bag the produce myself, but I quickly learned that the proper etiquette is to hand the bag to the market lady). My second to final comment on the subject is that I have enjoyed frequent discounts and freebies for years because of the plastic bags from the cargo pocket (the horror!) of the cargo shorts (the horror!).

My final comment is that cargo shorts (the horror!) have become cool again; who saw that coming?

"...He claimed that marijuana is a preventative medicine which can restore health and can be a supplement that will even make the brain work better, saying that if marijuana is used continually from birth, the child could become a genius..."

Aha!

This explains my Einsteinian levels of genius!

I wish that they would just stop all this nonsense and outright legalize it. Crime rates will go down, fewer people will go to prison, domestic violence against women will drop, drunk-driving will decline, etc, etc, etc.

And, does any one disagree that the Thai leadership desperately needs to have a few tokes and a hug?

As the man said, 'Just do it'.

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Cheating - endemic yes, but not a Thai way of life.

"It is not cheating if you don't believe that it is cheating"

George Costanza, (Paraphrased and bastardized)

As always, a well-written column and enjoyable read. However, one might (wrongly, of course) wonder if Mr R has adapted to the local culture a wee bit too much...

"It is not cheating if you don't believe that it is cheating"

George Costanza, (Paraphrased and bastardized)

Being interested in both history and politics in SE Asia, I have been following and studying various countries for over 30 years, and while I think there is cheating all over the region, I have to say that Thailand seems to take the proverbial cake. 

In Timor-Leste (East Timor a the time) I recall chatting with an Indonesian Military Colonel who claimed the occupation and systemic oppression/repression was legitimate as the Timorese constantly broke the rules. I should point out that he was not amused when I pointed out that the Timorese had no input in the rules.

"It is not cheating if you don't believe that it is cheating"

George Costanza, (Paraphrased and bastardized)

I recall truly fun chats with an old Muslim guy on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia about his wives. He was adamant that should any of his young brides... er... ahem... stray, he was fully justified in giving them a severe beating/whipping. I should point out that he was not amused when I pointed out that he had several wives, and he proclaimed that it wasn't cheating as God had given him the 'Okay'.

"It is not cheating if you don't believe that it is cheating"

George Costanza, (Paraphrased and bastardized)

Looking at modern Thai history and politics, I see endless coups, attempted coups, constitutions, interpretation of rules with a generous personal bent, rationalizations, re-interpretation of the aforementioned rules, reversal of interpretations, more coups, more rationalizations, another constitution or two, further re-interpretation(s) of relevant rules, another series of coups, an occasional re-re-re-re-interpretation of rules, etc. And, strangely enough, all seemed to benefit the individual looking at the relevant issue(s) and/or subjects. Funny that. I should point out that when I mention this to my Thai friends, they are not amused, and they look at me with a blank expression..

"It is not cheating if you don't believe that it is cheating"

George Costanza, (Paraphrased and bastardized)

Never once have I seen or heard the Interpreter of rules admit that all had changed for their benefit; it has always been strictly legitimate and always said with a straight face.

"It is not cheating if you don't believe that it is cheating"

George Costanza, (Paraphrased and bastardized)

I guess that you are correct; the Thais don't cheat much. And, TVF members don't actually complain.

Learn something new everyday...

1 minute ago, Captain 776 said:

Samui is past its best before date.

After my last time there......it was my LAST TIME

Oh darn!

We will really, really, really, really miss you. Honest. 

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Bye Bye!

And...

Good riddance.